Why Is Javier Ávila's Language Affect Personal Experiences?

Every person experiences situations in their life that affects their goals and possibly changes the outcome of their future. Their background is crucial to who they are as an adolescent and who they will become. Javier Ávila’s background as a Puerto Rican who learned English at an early age affected his future. It allowed him to move to the United States and find success as an accomplished English professor, and even win the Professor of the Year award. Javier Ávila grew up in Puerto Rico. His father served with the United States army in the Korean War in a segregated infantry and suffered from PTSD after he retired from service. His mom was a teacher, and his inspiration for wanting to teach as he grew older. In fact, as an adult, he ended
However, he quickly learned that many in Puerto Rico did not like when he spoke to them in English. This experience carried over to when he moved to the United States and began living in Pennsylvania. Many in Pennsylvania disliked when he spoke Spanish. Through these experiences, he learned in what situations each language would be best utilized. Also, once he moved to the United States, he experienced a waitress call him foreign, and he used that experience to write a poem. In the poem, he detailed how his father, uncle, and cousin fought in the United States army. His experiences helped to show him that not everyone takes the time to understand who you are or where you come from. Instead, they depend on stereotypes that often are often inaccurate representations of the group they are meant to
Javier Ávila did not fit any of the typical negative stereotypes one might have of a Hispanic in the United States. He spoke English without any semblance of an accent, and was an excellent professor, who became the first Hispanic to win the Professor of the Year award. Nevertheless, others have still occasionally thought of him in the view of the stereotypes that Hispanics typically face. For instance, when he first moved into his house in Bethlehem, and neighbor came up to him as he was working on his front yard and asked him if he could work on his yard after he was done with the one he was working on and that he would pay him well. The neighbor thought that he was hired help simply because he was Hispanic. Later, the same neighbor came over to congratulate him on his Professor of the Year award after seeing his billboard. Javier pointed out that “it took him nine years to see me as a human being.” This situation really helps to show how negative stereotypes can infiltrate our minds without ever realizing it. Nobody should be looked at as less of a human because of their background (whether that be ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, religion,